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Sun's Keep
Less a Keep than a Citadel - combining curtain wall, town, and the Keep itself - Sun's Keep spans a small peninsula that juts into the Fastheld River in the north-western reaches of Fastheld, towards the east of Aegisport. More of a self-contained Township and Stronghold (thus: A castle) than an actual Keep, the population of Sun's Keep consists entirely of Scourges, Priests, and initiates of the Remnant Church of True Light, and can be compared to Fastheld Keep in terms of relative size and functions. However, unlike Fastheld Keep, Sun's Keep harbors much more in the way of fortification. The grounds of the Keep within the outer curtain wall are spilt into four areas, each separated by it's own internal wall, permitting defenders to compartmentalize the area in the event of assault, thus making it VERY difficult for any invading force to gain a foothold. The design of this fortification also means that direct access to the Keep itself is not permitted. Those wishing to assault the citadel would have to go through a 'clockwork' process of walls and gates. This means that an invading force has to assault - and capture - four different quadrants before any assault on the main Keep itself would be a realistic idea. Offensive considerations aside, Sun's Keep is distinctive from it's counterpart - the Stanchion - in that while the latter is home to Monks and Scourges who are more concerned with knowledge and education, Sun's Keep is inhabited by what many would consider to be zealots and extremists to say the least. Predominantly female, the Scourges of Sun's Keep are absolute fanatics beyond all reason and logic. Utterly at odds with their Stanchion brethren, the Scourges and Priests of Sun's Keep are dedicated to the full eradication of the Shadow in Fastheld (and beyond), and will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. The majority of Scourges that have defined the history of the Church of True Light have come from Sun's Keep, and nearly all of the Shadowbanes and Auroras who have ever existed most likely recieved their training from within the walls and wards of the establishment. Indeed, it is here that all Church doctrine and policy was forged, and here that the beating heart of the faction can still be found. From faith to inquisition, the rise and fall of the Church of True Light was defined by those Scourges that called the Keep home. The Sundering of the Church of True Light has only made the blind monomania worse, for those who remain within Sun's Keep have now become a rogue faction that remains independent of the Imperial Law and the mandates of the Emperor and the Imperial Watch. Too entrenched to be removed from Fastheld, and too well defended to make any siege or assault worth the tremendous loss of life it would incur, they are free to harass and murder the citizens of Fastheld in their paranoid crusades if left unchecked. It is a situation and policy that is being closely watched by the Emperor, and a constant cause for concern by all within the realm. It should also be noted that while both lay claim to the title of the Remnant Church of True Light, those of The Stanchion are considered (and consider themselves to be) a totally independent faction - an extension of the sentiments held when the Church was one unified order. Those of the Stanchion have always held a different view of the Light than those of Sun's Keep; one preaching tolerance and understanding, with the other preaching hatred and destruction. Loathed by all (including their brethren in the Stanchion), those who inhabit Sun's Keep are also a stark reminder of how the Church came to fragment in the first place, why the remnants of the Church are currently at odds with each other and that too much Light can blind far greater than any darkness. That Sun’s Keep is virtually impregnable only adds to the problem; for while the Church of True Light may no longer be a major faction within Fastheld, few with any sense could claim that the Church is anything but dangerous. Note: Sun's Keep is an NPC organization. Category:Chiaroscuro Organizations